Dear Friends & Allies,
Exquisite Vernal Equinox Blessings to you all!
Yesterday the Sun came into alignment with the central axis of Mother Earth. Spring it is! The dreamers who planted their seedling-dreams in the Earth are awakening to the central flame of light. Emergence. We humans can experience reflections of the sometimes unseen awakening in the tender shoot that emerges from the mid-night --- the Winter’s rest, in the bright-clear eyes of an animal’s soft gaze, in the voice of the river trickling through the ice, and through the sweet fragrance of nectar beginning to fill the air.
Here in Western Colorado we experience the reflection of this dreaming seed awakening in the golden light touching the moist clouds nestling high above the eastern ridge just after the sun sweeps below the high ridge in the West. Last night we gathered in the Council House nestled in this narrow valley and are witnessing the Great Turning, the light aligning with the central axis of earthen-body. We feel this as a sense of gratitude, and in opening of our porous to the life-force that is -- we feel a belonging to the sacred -- to embodied prana, emerging into consciousness.
Being Part of Earth Recently Emerged Into Consciousness.
“We no longer see Earth as just a rock we live upon, but as a living process in which we participate” (Macy & Brown, 1998, p. 43). John Seed, a rainforest activist, approaches the topic of saving forests and the planet as being a natural instinctual process deeply embedded within the human psyche. Seed’s thesis for saving and restoring the planet is from a revolution needed in human consciousness. Seed suggests that this revolution of consciousness is a deep understanding that the psychology of the human includes both the heart and the mind (Roszak, 1995). John Seed is quoted having said, "I am not John Seed protecting the rainforest. I am part of the rainforest protecting itself. I am that part of the rainforest recently emerged into consciousness" (Seed, Macy, Fleming, & Naess, 1988, p. 1).
In this way, Seed’s life force was activated by his presence with the forest –such that an awareness of prana (life-force energy) awakened his embodied expression of ecological/earth consciousness and the energy of compassion, gratitude, attention, and love emanated from the heart. Living systems evolve in variety, resilience and intelligence; they do this not by erecting walls of defense and closing off from their environment, but by opening more widely to currents of matter/energy and information. Through constant interaction, they spin more intricate connections and more flexible strategies. They can’t do this if they are invulnerable, but only if they are open and responsive. Such is the direction of evolution. As lifeforms evolve in complexity and intelligence, they shed their armor in order to grow sensitive, vulnerable protuberances — like lips, tongues, ears, eyeballs, noses, fingertips — the more open to sense and respond, the greater an opening to connect in the web of life andweave it further. (Macy & Brown, 1998).
“The land around us (and within us) teaches with each passing season, and with each flood, drought, fire and storm, that out of change, crisis and a dying to what was, there appears a new story of form and adaptation. And that how we respond and integrate change into the fabric of our ongoing story colors the character of what comes next” (Little, n.d.)
May the fluidity of the flowing river bless you, may the soft opening of the Earth embrace you, and may the clarity of the light guide your heart. Thank you for your voice in the great re-turning <3
With Love,
colleen & tbird, directors alchemy of prana
*sharing this content: Please feel free to share what resonates -- Our only request is that you respect our voice & reference Alchemy of Prana & any original citations in your share ! <3
References
Jones, Colleen (2018). A desert birth story. Retrieved March 21, 2018, from
Little, M. (n.d.). The dark passage: Grief, loss and illness. Retrieved May 4, 2016, from
schooloflostborders.org/content/grieflossandillnessjourneyshealing
Macy, J., & Brown, M. Y. (1998). Coming back to life: Practices to reconnect our lives, our
world. Gabriola Island, BC, Canada: New Society.
Macy, J., & Johnstone, C. (2012). Active hope: how to face the mess we're in without going
crazy. Novato, CA: New World Library.
Roszak, T (1995). Roszak, T., Gomes, M. E., & Kanner, A. D. (Eds.) (1995). Ecopsychology:
Restoring the earth, healing the mind. San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books.
Seed, J., Macy, J., Fleming, P., & Naess A. (Eds.). (1988). Thinking like a mountain: Towards a
council of all beings. Philadelphia, PA: New Society Publishers.